Case Number 25444: Small Claims Court

Thorne

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All Rise...

Judge David Johnson is wished he had a cool last name like "Thorne" or "Matrix."

The Charge

For detective Tom Thorne, nothing is by the book.

The Case

Downton Abbey is all the rage, but
as far as I'm concerned, give me steady doses of procedurals for my Brit import
allotment. I can't recall a production from across the pond that rubbed me the
wrong way, which is somewhat a surprise since I despise American television
procedurals with a fair amount of suns. But there's just something about how the
UK kids carry themselves; their mysteries are better-plotted, better-acted, and
usually a whole lot darker.

Which is why I was excited to jump into Thorne, this six-episode,
two-series set of crime-fighting promising good plots, good acting, and a
boatload of darkness. David Morrissey (The Walking Dead) is Tom Thorne, an
ace investigator with a spotty past and an icy disposition. He's known for
closing the tough ones, but will do so in messy ways, drawing the ire of his
supervisor. This set contains two, three-part mysteries, with each part running
45 minutes.

Sleepyhead A woman is preyed upon by a serial killer and the
attack leaves her in a near-vegetative state. All she can do is blink, but has
first-hand knowledge of the attacker. As Thorne digs, he uncovers a frightening
connection between the current crimes and a diabolical serial killer he tracked
years ago, whose death hides a dark secret that could get Thorne tossed from the
force—or worse.

Scaredycat The murders of several women at first seem to have
no connection, but Thorne ultimately ties the deaths together, revealing that
they may be the result of a serial killer tag team. A new investigator (Sandra
Oh) with cocaine problem adds another wrinkle to the case.

Where does Thorne rank in my Brit mystery checklist? Good question.
The shows are reliably well-produced and the acting is top-notch. Morrissey is
cool, though his Thorne doesn't quite distinguish himself from his peers. He has
skeletons in his closet, but no more than the next guy over on the dial. Aidan
Gillen (Game of Thrones) is
solid as his forensics counterpart and the supporting players, some of whom are
recognizable, do good work. No one onscreen pops, however (versus my man George Gently or Idris Elba's Luther), leaving a good amount of heavy-lifting
to the mysteries themselves. Thankfully, these are well-executed, featuring some
nifty twists and enough side storytelling to keep the narrative moving
forward.